Always
by xStart.a.RIOTx
Summary: It's been two years since Ash left for Unova, and things haven't gone so well for Dawn since then. Her inspiration is lost, and co-ordinating seems impossible to do again. But, one day, someone decides to come back, and helps her come back to her senses.
1. Thinking About Things

**Kathy: Hey guys! I'm still alive! It's been so long since I've been here.**

**Gary: Yeah, a REAL long time.**

**Kathy: *glares at him* Whatever. Wait…what are you doing here? You're not even in this story!**

**Gary: *smirks* I can go wherever I want to.**

**Kathy: *rolls her eyes* Well, anyway, I'm planning for this fanfic to be a [PEARLSHIPPING] ****multi-chaptered fanfic****. I'm going to use this story to try to get over my stupid writer's block…and, to take a short break from the other stories I've written. I **_**will**_** update them, but not right now. In time, I will. But for now…at least I'm back!**

**Gary: No one cares.**

**Kathy: *glares at him again* Don't make me throw a brick at you!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Period.

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**Chapter One: Thinking About Things**

It's been awhile since I've last seen him. Two years to be exact.

I was fifteen then, and now I'm seventeen. He was sixteen then, and now he's eighteen.

And it's been two years since I've seen him.

I sighed. That reminiscent yet lonesome feeling started filling me up again, the one that _always _filled me up whenever I thought about those days; those days when I traveled with him, those days when I trained with him, those days when I talked with him, those days when I laughed with him…those days when I did _everything_ with him.

Now he's gone. And now…

…I have nothing.

Sure, I had Piplup, my Pokémon, co-ordinating, my mom, Zoey, Kenny, Leona, and everyone else back here in Sinnoh.

But…it just didn't feel the same without him.

_Nothing_ felt the same without him here.

After he left, everything…just everything started going wrong for me.

I started to lose my touch in co-ordinating. I could barely stay focused whenever I was training, or up on stage. And whenever I tried my best to keep a hold of that focus, I just couldn't. Without him there to encourage me when things started going wrong, without him there to support me when I was falling down…I just couldn't do it anymore. Everything just started getting worse and worse. Little by little, my strength went downward.

And eventually, everything just crashed.

And I fell down. Hard.

So, after that, I decided to take a short break from traveling and co-ordinating.

I left May and Zoey in Hoenn, and went back home to Sinnoh. They begged me to stay, they said they could help me come back up again…but I refused. I don't know why I did, but now that I look back at it…it was foolish to. I should've let them help me. I should've let them help me build myself back up.

But I didn't.

That was stupid.

I bet if I stayed with them, I wouldn't be such a mess right now. I wouldn't be the depressed, sad little girl I was right now.

But no, I had to let thoughts about a guy I'll never see for the rest of my life get in the way!

My eyes watered, a tear streamed down my cheek.

"Oh well," I breathed out. "What's happened has happened." I sat down in the lush green grass below me, too tired to stand any longer.

"…And I can't do anything about it."

The wind blew, playing around with my midnight blue hair. The weather was perfect today. The sun was shining down on everything below it, causing buildings and rooftops in the far off distance to glisten. Puffy white clouds hovered in the sky as well, limiting the sunlight's reach at times. A light cool breeze blew around about every few minutes.

It was a beautiful day, and everyone in the park I was in was having an extraordinary time. Little kids ran around, playing silly little games or playing around with their Pokémon. Romantic couples, from young to old, were walking around, enjoying the nice weather. Wild yet friendly Pokémon scurried around, running and chirping about. It seemed as if everyone but me was having an enjoyable day.

…Well, actually, I was okay today. Better than most days. I actually smiled when my mom greeted me this morning instead of grumbling back at her like I've usually done in the past year. But still. I wasn't feeling as happy and confident as I did before.

I guess I was just still thrown off by how my "short break" from co-ordinating became a long break. It's been almost more than a year since I've been in a contest. And, I think I was even more thrown off because of the fact that I haven't seen Ash in two years, and I haven't talked to him in about a year.

I frowned at the thought of this, and threw a rock at the pond in front of me.

We did keep in touch, during the first couple months after he left for the Unova region. We'd write letters, we'd talk on the phone; the usual. He'd tell me how great everything was in Unova, show me all the new Pokémon he'd caught, and he even introduced me to Iris and Cilan. It was nice meeting his new traveling partners, his new friends. But, I felt sort of…funny— I guess that's the way to say it— when I talked with them, and especially with Iris.

There was nothing wrong with them though, they're perfectly fine!

But…I don't know.

…Maybe it's just the jealous feeling of being…_replaced_ by her.

Immediately denying this, I shook my head. _'I am __**not**__ jealous! Ash would __**never **__replace me!' _

Anyway, back to the main point.

I kept in touch with him as much as I could. But, after the first couple months…I don't know. We started to talk less and less the more time passed by, and the worse my little depressing "co-ordinating situation" got. And then, it became that we didn't talk to each other at all.

I missed talking to him.

He was one of my best friends.

No, he was my _best _friend.

In my heart, he'll always be. But in reality…I don't even know what we are now. I don't even know if a "we" still exists for me and him. …Does he even still remember me? Does he still remember everything we've been through? Does he still remember all the moments we've shared?

_Does he even miss me?_

I mentally slapped myself. "Oh, just push it aside, Dawn!" I screamed. "Ugh!" I threw another rock into the pond, another result of my frustration.

"Just push 'what' aside?"

I jumped up, startled by the sudden sound. I quickly turned around, and noticed a boy about my age with black hair with a dark blue tinge to it and dark blue-gray eyes who wore a red beret cap with a Pokémon symbol embroidered on it, a distinctive red scarf, a black vest over a light blue shirt, denim jeans, and red sneakers.

I stared at him for few seconds before actually recognizing who he was.

My eyes widened in realization, and my mouth formed into a small smile. "Lucas!" I exclaimed. I ran up to him and practically glopped him, giving him a hug.

Lucas was one of my childhood friends. I've known him since I was a little girl, and we've been like brother and sister ever since. I see him every now and then, and he's one of the only friends I still see often after I started taking a break from traveling. And, I'm thankful that I still get to see him almost every day. I'm thankful that I still have some friends here with me, even if it's just a few.

You see, Lucas is one of Professor Rowan's assistants. They both live in Sandgem Town and Professor Rowan's lab is in Sandgem Town. And, Sandgem Town is just a ten-minute walk away from Twinleaf Town! So, you see how it works.

I visit Sandgem Town a couple times a week to keep myself busy. I help around in the Professor's lab, I talk with Professor Rowan and Lucas, I visit Lucas's house and talk to his mom sometimes, I go to the beach there, the park, and a lot of other things. Doing all those things helps me forget about Ash and the rest of my problems.

"It's nice to see you too!" Lucas beamed, hugging me back.

We pulled away, smiles on both of our faces.

"So, why were you yelling at yourself?" he asked me.

The smile on my face turned into a thin line. "…Oh, it's nothing," I replied. I turned away from him, my voice quieting down. "I was just thinking about things."

"Oh," he breathed out.

He knew what I was talking about, and he knew not to get too touchy with those subjects. He learned that the _hard way_. One time, probably about a year ago, he talked about co-ordinating, and Ash, and the rest of that stuff too much. So much that I got so angry/depressed at him, and almost blew up right in his face.

So yeah, he learned not to bring up those topics too much.

"…Well," he started, breaking the silence, "do you want to come to the lab with me? I just finished writing my daily observations of Pokémon here in the park, and I'm about to head back and hand them in to the Professor."

I grinned. "Sure! That'd be great," I said.

We began to walk down the sidewalk that led out of the park and back into the central region of the town. Sandgem Town was more of a small town than a big city like Jublife City. It was full of friendly and nice people. And besides the sounds of various vehicles, machines, and background chattering of people, it was a fairly peaceful town. And, most of the buildings were just a walking distance away from each other, so it was easy to get around the town.

While Lucas and I walked to the lab, we passed by many houses and stores. People waved and greeted us with a smile, and we'd greet them back with a smile as well. They were all familiar to me, since almost the same people as before waved to us. I saw them on a weekly basis, so how would we not recognize each other?

That's what I liked about small towns like Sandgem and Twinleaf; everyone knew each other, and it was easy to keep in touch with them.

"The weather's nice today," Lucas said, looking up at the sun in the sky, almost as if he were smiling at it.

I smiled a small smile, mindlessly playing around with the ends of my yellow T-shirt. "Yeah, it's beautiful," I replied, not even paying attention to what I was saying.

He grinned and nodded. "It's a perfect day to be outside!" he cheered. "Maybe we could go to the beach or something after I hand in these papers."

I chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds fun! It's not like I have any plans or anything," I joked around. It _was _true though; I didn't have any plans. I never did. I was always wasting my time around doing things at spontaneous times. It's been like that for the past year.

"And, maybe we could even invite some people, like Barry, Leona, and Kenny!" I added, fantasizing about it as I did. I could see it in my mind; all of us at the beach, just hanging out and having a fun time, throwing our cares in the air, not worrying about a single thing.

He sighed. "Yeah, that'd be awesome."

"Mmhm."

A silence came over us as we continued to walk. It wasn't awkward though, no. It _never_ is awkward between me and Lucas. Because I've known him since we were little, we've grown used to each other. Even if one word wasn't said between us, we'd still be okay with each other. Just the feeling of having someone with you there was comforting.

"Dawn?" Lucas called out, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

He hesitated. "Do…Do you still train, or even _play_ with your Pokémon?"

I paused for a bit. It's been awhile since I've last trained with them.

Well…I did play with them the day before yesterday. It's not like I've completely put them off to the side. I could never do that. They mean a lot to me, and especially Piplup. I still play with them. I still care for them. I still love them. But, it _has_ been a little while since I've actually done some "realtraining" with them.

"Yes, of course I do!" I answered. I decided to be truthful with him. "…Not all the time, but I still do."

I turned my head to look at him, curiosity building up in me. "…Why do you ask?"

He let out a deep breath, scratching the back of his head. "Well, it's just that…" He paused, as if he were contemplating how to put his thoughts into words.

He finally started speaking again. "…sometimes I worry about you. Co-ordinating was something you were very good at. You…you were an _amazing_ co-ordinator, Dawn," he emphasized. He then turned to me, and smiled. "Don't you know that, Dawn? You were one of the best. You were incredible out there."

A weak smile came upon my face. Memories of the high points of my co-ordinating career so far flashed through my mind.

"Yeah, I know," I breathed out.

He chuckled, mixed feelings in his laugh. "See?" he said. "But then…all of a sudden, you stopped." He frowned at the thought of this.

He frowned even more as he continued to talk. "And it was all because of _Ash_."

I grimaced once he brought _him _into this. "Lucas, it's not his fault—"

He didn't hear me, and just kept going on, frustration beginning to boil in his voice. "You gave up your dreams, your hard work, your talent…because _he_ caused you to get distracted! And—"

"Lucas, I didn't give it up!" I shouted, interrupting him and his rant.

I couldn't take it any longer; I just had to stop him. Why was he so mad? It's not even his problem! It was mine. Mine and mine alone. _I'm_ the one who has to deal with it, and _I'm_ the one who knows all the details and the backstory behind it. Not him.

He stopped talking, and he froze, the energy in him slowly going down. He looked at me as I started to talk.

"I didn't give up co-ordinating, Lucas," I said softly, my voice starting to break. "I didn't. It's what I love to do. I could _never_ stop co-ordinating. Never." I gave him a look, showing him that I was serious, and that I meant _every word_ that came out of my mouth.

"I'm just on a break, remember?" I reminded him, a weak smile coming upon my face. "And, it's not his fault. Please don't think it is, Lucas. It's not his."

I saw him try to protest against that, his mouth opening, words about to come out of him. But then, he stopped himself from going any further. He stopped himself from protesting. …I think he reminded himself not to go too far again.

I sighed, trying to get that choking feeling away— that feeling you get when you're about to cry. "…If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. _I_ let myself get to this."

I turned to him, putting my hand on his shoulder. "So please, Lucas. Don't bring Ash into this. It's not his fault. It's not."

He looked into my eyes, his eyes boring into mine. I could see worry, a huge amount of it, in those blue-gray orbs.

He finally sighed, and nodded his head, a somewhat understanding expression on his face. "…Okay. I…I just get worried about my sister sometimes, that's all," he laughed slowly, ruffling the top of my head.

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "Yeah, and sometimes you get _too_ worried," I suggested to him, a mocking tone in my voice. "You know you don't have to be so overprotective!" I smiled as he blushed at my remark.

He laughed nervously. "Hahaha, I know," he said. "I…I just think Ash is sort of stupid sometimes."

I raised an eyebrow. Why was he bringing him into this again?

"Why?" I asked him.

He smiled, and finally answered,

"…Because he left _you_."

I…I was taken aback. I flushed, and a huge grin formed at my lips. That was just…_sweet_. That was one of the sweetest things that someone has ever told me! Now I was extremely thankful to have a friend like him around, really.

But, if I _did_ let him know how much he meant to me…I bet he'd tease me for the rest of my life.

"What's…What's that supposed to mean?" I jokingly asked, acting as if I didn't know that was a compliment.

"Oh great, now _you're_ acting like him too!" he joked back.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I said.

And then, I started to run as fast as I could. Everything I passed by became a blur as my speed increased. I turned my head around and looked back at him, and yelled, "Last one to the lab's a big fat Slowpoke!"

His eyes widened at the sudden challenge.

He began to chase after me, panting heavily as he did. "Hey! That's no fair! You got a head-start!" he shouted, a couple feet away from me.

I just laughed, and continued to run even faster. "Whatever!" I screamed.

This was going to be a good day.

* * *

**Kathy: Well, that's it! I know it's a bit short, but I wanted to get this up as soon as I could. I promise the next one will be longer though! Hopefully…**

**Gary: No one cares.**

**Kathy: *glares at him* GO AWAY, GARY.  
Now anyway, please review this fanfic! Just click the button thingymajigger right under this sentence. (:**


	2. A Certain Someone

**Kathy: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating in the_ longest _time ever, but…here's Chapter 2! **

**Gary: No one cares.**

**Kathy: And, by the way…Lucas is not an OC, for those of you who haven't figured out. He's actually Lucas from the Diamond and Pearl games, the male playable character of those games. (: …Hopefully, you guys know who I'm talking about.**

**Gary: No one cares. **

**Kathy: *glares at him* WILL YOU QUIT IT ALREADY?**

**Gary: *smirks and chuckles* Awh, you know I just like to mess with you, Kathy!**

**Kathy: Actually, no. I didn't know that.**

**Gary: …Oh. Well, this is sort of awkward now.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

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**Chapter 2****: A Certain Someone**

"I win!" I cheered in triumph, speeding past the open gates of the entrance into Professor Rowan's lab. I gradually slowed to a walking pace, breathing heavily, but beaming with a huge smile on my face.

"That's 'cause— you started— before me!" Lucas managed to yell through his short heavy breaths. I looked behind me, stifling a giggle as I watched Lucas running through the gates as well. Once he passed them, he immediately stopped and rested his hands on his knees, bowing his head and breathing hard.

I laughed softly and walked over to him, waiting for him to recover from that long run.

He continued to take breaths, slower and deeper this time to get himself to calm down. "Geez, Dawn!" he said, a joking tone in his voice. "How can you run that fast?"

I shrugged. "…It must be from all the traveling I've done," I proposed. The old days with Ash and Brock, and even the time traveling I spent with May and Zoey flashed through my mind once the thought of traveling came up. But I quickly shook it off.

Lucas sighed, regaining his posture, his breathing becoming normal again. "Must be," he breathed out. He then turned to me, a gleam in his eyes. "Okay. Let's go!"

We began to walk towards the building of the laboratory. The building wasn't something ordinary. It was one of the biggest structures in the whole town. In fact, it was the town's landmark. So why wouldn't it be big?

Once we reached the front door, Lucas held it open, letting me walk through first and following behind shortly afterwards. Walking through the enormous lobby of the lab, we made a turn into a wide hallway that led to various other rooms and sections of the lab.

"Professor!" I called out. I then turned to Lucas, and asked him, "Is he in the lab room?"

He nodded. "Probably. I mean, that's where he usually is whenever I come."

So with that said, we started to make our way to the end of the hallway, where the laboratory room of the building was located. As we neared the room, I began to hear Professor Rowan's voice, and two other voices conversing with him. The closer we got to the lab room, the more distinct and familiar those two voices sounded.

"I wonder who he's talking with…" I wondered out loud.

"Oh, Professor Oak from Pallet Town, Kanto and his grandson came over this morning. They're staying for a couple days," Lucas explained to me. "Another guy about his grandson's age came along with them as well. But, he left as soon as he got here, so I didn't get to see who he was. I wonder where he was such in a hurry off to…" He looked to the ceiling with a thoughtful expression, as if that would help him figure out the answer.

"Oh," I breathed out.

It took me a few seconds to realize what he had said.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks, my eyes widened and my pulse beginning to race.

"…Wait," I said. I turned around to find a confused Lucas looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What? …Why'd you stop walking?"

I ignored his comment, and asked him, "…Did you just say that Professor Oak was here? _The _Professor Oak? And his _grandson_?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah…why—WHOA!"

"PROFESSOR OAK! PROFESSOR OAK!" I screamed, dragging Lucas along as I sped off to the lab room with the hugest smile on my face.

Professor Oak was here! And Gary was too! I haven't seen them in such a long time, I couldn't help myself.

I crashed through the doors of the lab room, still screaming Professor Oak's name, still smiling that huge grin. I was running so fast that I forgot how to stop, everything just became a blur, and all of a sudden, I collided into a hard, yet soft surface. An "OOF!" escaped my mouth once I made the impact, and I fell to the ground, hard.

I remained on the ground, rubbing my head. "Ow…" I groaned.

Three figures came running to my side, towering above me and looking down on me. I looked up back at them, and saw Lucas and Professor Oak laughing their heads off at me, and a slightly angered Professor Rowan eyeing me like I was some rotten little child that needed some disciplining.

"Geez Dawn, were you _that_ excited to see Gramps?" a voice came from underneath me.

Hold up…_underneath me_?

I looked down, and saw that I was lying on top of a guy about my age; a guy with spiked up auburn-brown hair and coal black eyes. He wore a white long-sleeved button-up collared shirt with the sleeves casually folded up, gray jeans, and black sneakers. But the thing that stood out about him was the cocky smirk he wore on his face. It was easy to figure out who he was.

"…Gary?" I breathed out.

He chuckled. "Yeah," he said. "Now, if you don't mind, could you get off of me?"

Professor Oak chuckled. "Gary, where are your manners?"

"Come on, Gramps. It's just Dawn."

Realizing the awkward position we were in, I blushed and quickly stood up. "Oh! Gary, I'm sor—"

Before I could even apologize, Professor Rowan began to yell. "Dawn! That is no way to treat our guests! Apologize immediately!" he scolded me. I couldn't help but whimper a little and stare back at him with frightened eyes. But what can I say? An angry Professor Rowan was one of the scariest things ever.

"Heh, it's okay, Professor!" Gary reassured him. "It's really nothing!"

Professor Rowan just ignored him. He glared at me. "Apologize!" he demanded.

I gulped. "Y-Yes Professor Rowan! Will do!" I replied, laughing nervously.

"Weren't you just about to apologize to him?" Lucas muttered to me, bits of laughter still escaping him.

"I know," I muttered back. "It's fine though. No need to worry."

I turned to Gary, still on the ground rubbing his back, and held out a hand to him to help him up. "Sorry Gary, I really didn't mean to hurt you," I apologized as I helped him up.

He grinned at me. "It's alright, it's not like I need to go to the Pokémon Center or anything," he said. "Anyway, seeing you makes up for it! It's really great to see you again!"

I laughed, and gave him a short hug. "Same goes to you!" I beamed. He laughed as well and returned the hug.

"Dawn! It's wonderful to see you again!" a hoarse, yet cheery voice called out. I turned my head and saw Professor Oak, a happy and amused expression on his face, probably because of the commotion I caused a moment earlier.

I flashed a smile and walked over to him and gave him a short hug as well. Once I pulled away, I grinned at him again and said, "It's nice to see you too, Professor Oak!"

He chuckled. "So, how are you and your Pokémon? Are you back on co-ordinating yet?"

That caught me off guard.

The smile on my face weakened as I winced in the inside.

'_Out of all the questions in the world, why did he have to ask about co-ordinating?'_

I quickly shook the thought away. It wasn't his fault. He was an old man, and he's much too busy with his work to pay attention to what's been happening with me; he didn't know any better. "Uh, um…we're fine," I answered. "And…I'm still on break. It's been…almost a _year_ since I've officially participated in a contest, ahaha."

The cheeriness in him slowly evaporated, and the smile on his face formed into a straight thin line. "…Oh. Why's that?"

I laughed nervously. "It's a really long story, Professor."

He chuckled. "Oh, I've got time," he beamed. "I'm going nowhere. Gary and I are staying here for two weeks!"

"You are?" Even though Lucas already mentioned it before, I decided to say that in order to change the subject. I didn't want the conversation to linger on my co-ordinating career.

He nodded with a smile on his face. "Yes," he answered. "We've decided to take a short vacation from work."

"Oh," I breathed out. "That's understandable. But…why here in Sandgem Town? Out of all the places in the world…"

"Well, I wanted to visit Professor Rowan's lab here and see how he was doing. After all, we are friends," he explained. "And, the peacefulness and serene state of a small town like Sandgem Town is just what I need to take a break from all the restlessness and bustle of radio stations and tending to Pokémon."

"Plus, a _certain someone _wanted to come and visit _Twinleaf Town_," Gary added, a smirk on his face.

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "What do you mean a 'certain someone'?"

"Oh!" Lucas suddenly exclaimed. "Are you talking about the other guy who came with you guys? Is that where he headed off to; Twinleaf Town?"

Gary laughed. "Yeah, exactly!" he said. "How'd you know?"

Lucas grinned. "Lucky guess."

"But who is that _someone_?" I pressed on. "Who came with you? Do I know him?"

Gary smirked, and laughed again. "You'll find out soon enough."

I groaned. "Oh, come on! Tell me who it is!"

He shook his head. "If I did, it would ruin the surprise," he told me, that smirk still on his face. He then repeated, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Hmph," I puffed, crossing my arms. That was typical of him.

"So, Dawn," Professor Oak interrupted, "weren't you going to tell me that story of yours?"

I froze.

"Uh…well, actually, Professor…we've got to head back to Twinleaf now!" I lied, attempting to escape telling Professor Oak the whole sob-story of my co-ordinating career so far. "Me and Lucas promised my mom that we'd eat lunch with her."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "What? We never—OOF!" A simple nudge and glare gave him a clue.

A confused look came upon Professor Oak's face. "But it's already two thirty in the afternoon!"

I sweatdropped. "Er, we eat lunch late on some days!" I made up, slowly making my way to the door with Lucas following behind. "We've really got to get going though. It was great seeing you again, though! See you tomorrow!"

Professor Oak looked like he was about to protest, but then he gave up. "Oh…alright. See you tomorrow!"

I smiled, happy that my escape plan worked. "Kay! Bye Professor Rowan! Bye Professor Oak! Bye Gar—"

"Wait," Gary cut me off. "…If you guys don't mind, could I tag along with you?"

I beamed at him. "Sure!"

Lucas smiled as well. "We don't mind!"

Gary grinned. "Okay, thanks!" he exclaimed. He then turned to the two professors, and said, "Bye Professor Rowan! See you tomorrow! Bye Gramps! See you too!"

He walked to a nearby table, grabbed a backpack that was on top of it, and slung it onto his back. He made his way over to me and Lucas, and after waving goodbye to the two professors once more, we headed out the door and made our way out of the building.

* * *

"You two _really _didn't have to eat lunch with Mrs. Berlitz," Gary proposed, a smirk on his face. "That was just an excuse to get out of talking with Gramps, right?"

Lucas laughed nervously. "How could you tell?"

Gary shrugged. "Lucky guess," he said, reusing Lucas's line from before.

"But, I'm gonna head over back to Twinleaf anyway," I told him. "I haven't eaten lunch yet, and I wanna check up on my mom. Do you guys wanna come too?"

"Sure," they both said.

I smiled. "Kay," I beamed. "Lucas, can we take your car? I'm still tired from all that running." Even though Twinleaf Town was right next to Sandgem Town, it was about a thirty minute walk from Professor Rowan's lab, and I didn't feel like walking for thirty minutes under the raging afternoon sun.

He chuckled. "Sure thing. It's parked right outside," he replied.

We headed out of the building and Lucas led us to a sleek silver sports car. Being Professor Rowan's assistant sure paid off, so it's no wonder Lucas had a car like that.

Lucas climbed into the driver's seat, Gary slipped into the passenger's seat, and I sat in the backseat. Lucas started the car, and soon enough, he started to pull the car out of the grounds of Professor Rowan's lab and drive out to Twinleaf Town.

"So, we're eating lunch at your house, Dawn?" Lucas asked.

"That's the plan," I simply replied.

"Okay, to your house it is."

We remained silent for a little while. I looked out the window, watching Sandgem Town become a blur of small houses, trees, and people as we drove through the town. It all looked so peaceful, even as the car sped through it.

"I heard that Twinleaf Town is a lot like Pallet Town," I heard Gary breathe out. I almost forgot that he was with us.

Wait.

"_Twinleaf Town is a lot like Pallet Town." _

Now where did I hear that before…

I remember someone saying that a few years ago, during one of my visits to Twinleaf Town for the festival that year…

"_Twinleaf Town…reminds me of Pallet Town!" a boy exclaimed. He was about the same age as me, fifteen or sixteen years old around that time. A red cap with a blue pokéball symbol embroidered on it topped his messy raven-black hair. His brown eyes gleamed as he took in the scenery of Twinleaf Town. A beaming Pikachu sat on his shoulder, chirping in agreement to his statement._

Red cap, messy black hair, brown eyes, Pikachu…

…Could it be?

Could it really be?

…Could it really be _Ash_ who said that?

Is Ash the one who told Gary that?

Is Ash the one who came along with Gary and Professor Oak?

"Really? Who'd you hear that from?" Lucas asked him, interrupting my thoughts.

I shook my head. _'Nah, it couldn't be. He's far too busy with his travels and his journey to become a Pokémon master to come and visit Twinleaf Town…' _I thought to myself. _'It couldn't be.' _I decided to just abandon the whole thought completely.

Gary smiled. "A certain someone," he said, answering Lucas's question.

I raised an eyebrow. Why couldn't he just say who it was? "Is it the same certain someone who came with you and Professor Oak?"

Gary looked back at me and smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."

I looked at him with narrowed eyes. "…I'll take that as a yes."

Gary and Lucas laughed at my comment, and I couldn't help but join in. It was nice to be hanging out with Gary, and Lucas seemed to feel the same way too. It was also nice to have someone other than Lucas, Leona, and Kenny to hang out with. And, this was the perfect chance to catch up with Gary. And, maybe he could even tell me about Ash, and how he's been doing. I wonder how he's doing without me…

I quickly shook the thought away.

"So, Gary," I started, "where are you staying at? Are you staying at Professor Rowan's house?"

He shook his head. "Gramps is staying at Professor Rowan's house, but I'm not. I've decided to stay in Twinleaf Town, because I heard that Twinleaf Town is a lot like Pallet Town. So I wanted to see it for myself," he explained. "Plus, staying with two Pokémon Professors for two weeks isn't exactly my idea of a vacation, if you know what I mean." He chuckled at that last comment, and me and Lucas did as well. It was true; I could imagine Professor Oak and Professor Rowan going on and on about their research while Gary just sits there, bored out of his mind.

He continued on. "I rented a house down there, and that's where I'll be staying for the whole vacation."

I smiled. "Oh, nice," I said. "But…what are you gonna do for the next two weeks? Hang out with us?" I joked. I seriously doubted he would wanna hang with us when he could be doing something else that he considered more…extravagant. After all, he was the famous and popular Gary Oak. And I was Dawn Berlitz, the sad little co-ordinator on one of those "where-are-they-now?" shows.

He chuckled. "Actually, yeah," he answered. "I was hoping that you guys could show me around Twinleaf and Sandgem."

I laughed, not believing this. "You're not actually serious."

I looked at him, awaiting him to laugh along with me. But he remained silent, not a single laugh came out of him.

"…Are you?" I asked him.

He simply nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that…nevermind," I stopped. I then smiled, and said to him, "We'd be happy to show you around. It's not like I have anything better to do…"

"And with Professor Oak here with Professor Rowan for the next two weeks, I could probably ask Professor Rowan for a two week vacation as well," Lucas added, a small grin on his face. "So it all works out!"

"Awesome!" Gary and I cheered in unison.

It only took a couple more minutes of catching up with Gary for us to arrive at my house.

"We're here," I breathed out.

Lucas parked the car, turning it off, and then he and Gary stepped out of the car, and I did as well. Once I got out, I saw Gary looking at the house, his eyes moving from the bottom to the top. "So this is your house, Dawn," he said.

I nodded. "Yeah."

It was nothing much. It was just my house. But then again, I thought that it was an amazing place to live.

It was a simple two-story house with black roofing and white planks with a blue-ish hue to them that composed the house's walls. A small staircase led up to the front porch aligned with white railing. The patio contained a few chairs and a porch swing, and the red front door, which led into the building. Green lush grass and flowers could be seen everywhere around the house, creating a bright and cheery atmosphere. Mom took good care of the flowers around our house.

"Come on," I said, leading them to the front door.

I took out my house key out of my shorts' pocket and unlocked the door, walking into the house with Gary and Lucas following behind. "Mom, I'm home!" I called out as I walked in.

I expected an "I'm in the kitchen!" or something like that, the usual. But…I didn't get any reply. "That's weird…" I muttered. "I thought she was home. Where is she?"

I tried again. "Mom, where are you?" I called out, a hint of paranoia in my voice. "Mom!"

Finally, I got a reply. "I'm coming!" a voice yelled back. I sighed in relief. She was home.

Soon enough, she came running out of the kitchen, stopping at the sight of me, Gary, and Lucas.

"Hi Dawn," she greeted, softly laughing. She looked a bit apologetic. "Sorry, I was in the kitchen with a guest."

"Oh, haha," I breathed out. "Wait…someone's here with you?"

Before she could answer my question, Lucas cut her off by greeting her. "Hi Mrs. Berlitz!"

"Oh, hello Lucas!" she greeted back to him, flashing him a smile. "I almost didn't see you there!" She chuckled for a bit, and then turned her head, noticing Gary. "And you are?"

Gary smiled. "Gary Oak," he replied. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Berlitz." He held out his hand for her to shake.

Mom gladly shook his hand. "Yes, nice to meet you too, Gary," she beamed. "Dawn's told me about you."

"She has?"

She merely chuckled. "Yeah," she replied. She then looked at all of us, and asked, "Do you guys want to have some lunch? I still have leftovers from mine, that is…if my guest didn't eat all of it, haha." She walked back into the kitchen, and I heard her speak again. She was probably talking to the guest…I wonder who it was.

"Eat all of it? What does she mean?" Lucas wondered aloud.

"I have a feeling…" Gary muttered. What? What did _he _mean?

"Come on, guys. There's lunch in the kitchen," I reminded them. "Let's eat." They replied with "Okay" and headed into the kitchen. I stood there for a few seconds, blinking, and soon followed behind them, still wondering who that guest was. _'It's probably one of mom's old co-ordinator friends, or one of her fans,' _I guessed.

As I walked, I heard Gary sigh and say, "I had a feeling that _you_ were here." He sounded disappointed, yet amused at the same time.

"What do you mean?" a voice asked. It sounded like it belonged to a guy about the same age as Gary. And…it sounded so familiar, _very _familiar.

Gary chuckled. "It's nothing."

The moment after he said that, I casually walked into the room. The first thing I saw was mom grabbing some plates and silverware, probably getting it for Lucas and Gary.

The second thing I saw was Lucas, except he didn't look alright. He was quiet, standing somewhat far away from Gary and the guest. He looked speechless and shocked, like he'd just seen a ghost. And for some reason, he looked a bit annoyed, or maybe even angry. …Why?

The next thing I saw was Gary smirking and chuckling, probably after talking with the guest. He then turned his head, noticing that I entered the room, and this caused him to smirk an even bigger smirk.

And the last thing I saw…oh boy.

I almost _died_.

The last thing I saw…was _Ash_ sitting at the kitchen table, staring directly at me, with those big brown eyes and that grin on his face, and…God, I just couldn't take it! I could feel my eyes widening at the sight of him, and I could feel heat coming to my cheeks.

Everything just started to become a blur. My pulse began to race, my breath began to quicken, but…there I was, standing, like a fool frozen in time.

"A-Ash?" I managed to scream out.

I felt everyone's eyes on me, and that just seemed to make everything worse. I felt like such a nervous wreck. "W-What are— what in the world— why—" Why couldn't I speak right? "…Ugh!" I yelled, frustrated.

And I decided to do the best thing for the situation.

I ran away.

"Dawn!" I heard him call out, worry in his voice. "Dawn!"

But I ignored him, and I just kept going.

I ran out the back door and into the backyard, slowing down to a walk once I reached mom's flower garden. I heard and felt myself gasping for air, panting. And I still felt my heart pounding in my chest, and my pulse racing, like it was running a marathon. The heat was still in my cheeks; I was still flushing.

And then, when I finally came to my senses,

I realized something.

"He's the one. The one that Gary was talking about," I breathed out.

I sighed, realizing that my guess before was right. _'I knew it.' _

"_Ash's_ the certain someone."

* * *

**Kathy: So, that's it! Hope this chapter was good enough for you guys! (:**

**Gary: I thought it was.**

**Kathy: *smiles* Awh, really?**

**Gary: *smirks* 'Cause I was in it!**

**Kathy: *narrows her eyes at him and sighs* Figures. Well anyway, please review! It would make me very happy if you did! :D**


	3. A Bittersweet Reunion

**Kathy: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Sorry for the super late update, but hey— at least I finally updated!**

**Gary: No one c—**

**Kathy: SHUT UP.**

**Gary: *sighs* Okay, FINE.**

**Kathy: *smiles* Thank you. Here's the disclaimer thingamajigger thing!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

* * *

**Chapter 3: A Bittersweet Reunion**

I…I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't process what was going on.

'_Ash is here, Ash is the certain someone,' _my mind repeatedly thought. _'Why does he have to be here? Why why why?'_

I couldn't think straight. I mean, I saw it with my own eyes; Ash Ketchum was in Twinleaf Town. Ash Ketchum was in my house. Ash, Ash, Ash, Ash. My heart kept racing every time I realized he was back. But my mind couldn't believe it. And my heart couldn't handle it.

"Dawn, wait!" I heard him call out, his voice nearing me. Part of me wanted to turn around, but part of me wanted to run away.

I chose to run away.

Unfortunately…it didn't work.

Ten seconds after I started running, my wrist was caught. I knew it was Ash who caught me, but I didn't want to turn and see. I didn't want him to see me in the messed up state I was in.

I was gasping for air, sweating. I didn't know whether it was from me being exhausted from running, or me being anxious around Ash. "Oh-Oh boy," I managed to breathe out.

I heard Ash sigh. "Dawn…it's me." He stayed quiet after that. Was…was he expecting a reply?

"I…I know it's you!" I snapped at him, still not turning to look at him. I sighed, and then said it again, softly. "I know it's you, Ash." My heart skipped a beat once I said his name. It's been awhile since I've said his name to him.

I don't know why, but this caused him to chuckle a little bit. "Then, why won't you look at me?"

"I…I just can't," I replied, a frantic tone in my voice. "I don't want you to see me like this! I'm a mess right now." It was true. I could feel some of the strands of my midnight blue hair standing up. My face was sweaty. My cheeks were flushed from running and all the nervousness aroused within me. My eyes were watery.

He chuckled even more. Why was he even laughing? "I don't care if you're a mess right now. It all looks the same to me."

What? When I'm a mess, I still look the same to him? Of course; he was still the same dense boy from when we were traveling together.

"UNBELIEVABLE!" I yelled, subconsciously turning to look at him and slap him for saying something so ignorant.

But before I slapped him, he decided to be a smart-aleck. "See? You can look at me," he beamed. "No need to worry."

I was shocked; he caught me, with my own catchphrase too.

Hesitantly, I took a look at his face…and he had that friendly, grinning expression he always had. His caring brown eyes bore into mine. His mouth was formed into a closed smile. His face was shining. I remembered he was handsome in his own way, but it was too overwhelming to see it again after a long time.

I…I just couldn't handle it. I covered my eyes with my free hand. "It's too much," I breathed out.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, clueless. "Why'd you cover your eyes?" I felt his fingers reach for the hand covering my eyes, and slowly, he removed my hand from my face, and he looked into my eyes again.

I couldn't help but blush. "Why…do you want me to look at you so badly?" I asked him. "Why did you come back?"

He started to blush along with me as he prepped to answer me. "Because…I wanted to see you."

Now I started to blush even more.

Was he actually serious? He wanted to see me? After that long period of time when we didn't talk to each other, he still wanted to see me?

"HEY DAWN! Your lunch is getting cold! If you don't come back in, I'm gonna eat all your food!" Lucas abruptly called from my house's backdoor, interrupting my little moment with Ash.

I sighed in relief. _'THANK YOU, LUCAS,' _I thought to myself. Because he interrupted, I wouldn't be stuck in that awkward moment with Ash.

I started to walk back to my house, but then I was stopped by Ash's grip on my wrist. I blushed again; I forgot he was still holding on to me. "Um, A-Ash…" I _really_ needed to get used to saying his name. "…Could you let go of my wrist now?"

He flushed, realizing his hand was still holding my wrist. He quickly let go and started to walk back to my house as well, muttering some stuff to himself in an annoyed tone. Was he annoyed that Lucas ruined the moment?

I shrugged off the idea and followed him back into my house. That didn't really matter to me at the moment. My head was still spinning from what just happened and what was about to happen. My heart was still racing; it seemed like it'd beat that way forever, as long as Ash was here.

All I could process in that moment was that Ash was back, and that he was here to see me.

* * *

I hadn't spoken a word to Ash since that little moment in Mom's garden.

After I hastily ate lunch, I ran off to my room and hid there, waiting for Ash to leave the house. I still couldn't process everything after that moment, especially since he sat beside me while I ate my lunch.

I couldn't process the fact that he came back to see me.

I just couldn't.

_Knock knock. _

I froze.

What if it was Ash? What if he wanted to talk to me again? My head started spinning again. I started to panic. I wouldn't know what to say to him. What are you supposed to say to a person you haven't seen in two years— _especially_ if it's a person you have strong feelings for?

I dropped my head into my hands. _'I'm such a wreck,' _I thought to myself. _'I'm such a coward.'_

"Relax, it's Lucas," the person at the other side of the door said.

Relief came back to me as I walked to the door and slightly opened it, peeking through the crack at Lucas. "Is…is he still here?" I whispered.

Lucas shook his head, knowing I was talking about Ash. "Nah. He and Gary walked back to their rental house," he replied. "It's just a few blocks down from here."

I sighed in relief. "Okay," I breathed out. I fully opened the door to let Lucas come in. After he did, we both sat on my bed. We sat there in silence for a little while, probably because we were both trying to process what just happened in the past two hours.

"I can't believe he's back," I breathed out.

Lucas let out a small, forced laugh. "Yeah, and we were just talking about him earlier too."

I turned to look at him. His blue-grey eyes looked darker than before. His facial expression looked like he'd just heard some bad news. I knew it; he didn't like the fact that Ash was back. But, didn't he know that Ash was coming? After all, hadn't he seen him earlier in the morning?

"Did you know he was coming?" I asked Lucas.

He shook his head. "No," he replied. "Even though I saw him this morning, he left too fast for me to even recognize him." He turned to look at me. "Guess he was too excited to see you again."

I felt my cheeks heating up. _"I wanted to see you." _That's what Ash told me in Mom's garden, the reason why he came back. "He told me that's the reason why he came back," I said, still unable to comprehend everything. "To see me."

"Oh, that little incident," Lucas recalled. "When you ran out the house, I sort of got scared." He chuckled, but I could tell he was really worried.

I let out a small laugh as well, slightly amused at how he was always worried about me. "Well, I'm fine now, I guess," I reassured him.

"But are you fine that Ash is back?" he asked me, locking his eyes with mine.

I never realized until now how close we were sitting together, and how close his face was. But…shouldn't this be normal for childhood friends to act like this around each other? Is it normal?

"I…" I started, then turned away from him, "…I actually don't know what to think of it."

I looked up at the ceiling, as if I'd find the answer up there. "I mean— I guess…part of me is really happy that he's back, since I haven't seen him in so long. I've missed him a lot," I explained. My heart raced when I thought about that raven-haired boy. "But, the other part of me…isn't."

I ran a hand through my hair, still trying to scramble my feelings together. "It's probably because…I didn't want him to see me like this; the messed up co-ordinator I am right now," I breathed out.

I could feel my eyes watering, and my throat tightening up. "And…I don't want to get too attached to him again. The whole reason why I messed up in co-ordinating was because I depended on him to be there for me," I managed to choke out. It was starting to get difficult for me to speak. I felt a tear stream down my face.

Why do I always have to cry? I hated crying in front of people.

But I couldn't help it.

With Ash back, those feelings that I've kept inside for so long were starting to come back again.

I shook my head, refusing to let them come back. "Why am I crying?" I choked out. "I didn't want to cry." I tried laughing, to make myself calm down…but it turned into crying. I stifled those cries; I really didn't want to cry.

Soon enough, I felt Lucas's arms wrap around me.

"It's okay, Dawn," he soothed. "Just let it all out."

I nodded, and began to cry into his shirt. All these uncontrollable feelings that I didn't know I had within me, I let them out. I felt my tears slowly turn into sobs. I was such a wreck. I hated it; I've become the opposite of what I was before Ash left.

And it's all because Ash came back.

Why did he have such a big influence over me?

Why did I ever become so attached to him?

I was so confused.

I didn't know what to think of him coming back. I didn't know whether I should be happy or sad. I didn't know how to speak to him or what to say to him. I didn't even know how to look at him.

And he's staying in Twinleaf Town for the next two weeks.

There was no doubt that he'd try to come and visit me tonight, or tomorrow morning, if he was still the determined guy I remembered him to be.

And I wouldn't know how to face him.

I just wasn't ready.

'_These next two weeks are going to be difficult.'_

* * *

**Kathy: And there you go! It was sort of short...and I'm not sure if I kept the characters in character since I haven't written for soooo long. But, I hope you liked it!**

**Gary: *complains* Why wasn't I in the chapter this time?**

**Kathy: *ignores him* …Did you hear something? Anyway, please review! Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up before the year ends, HAHA.**


	4. I've Missed You

**Kathy: *awkwardly walks back into the Pokemon page of FanFiction* Hehehehehe...I'm back!**

**Gary: WHERE WERE YOU?**

**Kathy: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just that life keeps getting in the way of my writing time! If I had all the time in the world, I would be finished with all of my unfinished stories by now!**

**Gary: *eyes her suspiciously* Sure...**

**Kathy: *glares at him* It's the TRUTH! Anyway, here's chapter 4 guys! Enjoy. (:**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Chapter 4: I've Missed You

I woke up with the sharpest headache ever. I slowly opened my eyes and groaned. I got headaches whenever I slept for a long time and I hated it. The only solution to getting rid of it was to walk around town, which I found myself doing every time I got a headache in the morning. And that was often.

I found myself laying in my bed with the soft, cool bedsheets wrapped around my body. Bits of sunlight shined through the window beside my bed, indicating that it was morning.

The funny thing, though, was that I don't remember consciously going to bed last night.

I lay there in my bed, trying to recall the events from yesterday. How did I even get in bed the first place?

Then, I realized how I got in bed. Lucas was in my room and he watched over me while I vented and cried for a few hours. I blushed in embarrassment. I didn't like crying in front of people, even if they were close to me. I didn't want people to worry about me.

'_You can't change the past. It already happened,'_ my mind told me. _'And, it's just Lucas.'_

I subconsciously nodded in agreement. Yeah, it was just Lucas. He was used to the depressed me since he's been here for me since the start of this depression. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at the bedsheets on top of me. I probably fell asleep after crying and Lucas was probably the one who put me to bed.

It made me happy to know that he was here for me. He was just like the brother I've always dreamed of having.

After a minute of silence, I quickly sat up and the pain of the headache came back. A small groan escaped my mouth in reply. "These headaches, geez," I muttered to myself.

Trying to ignore the headache, I grabbed some clothes and started to make my way to the bathroom to take a shower so I could go on my walk around town to get rid of the headache.

But then, a new thought came into my mind, stopping me in my tracks.

_'What if I run into Ash while I walk around town?'_

A surge of anxiety rushed through my body. Ash Ash Ash Ash. I totally forgot. How could I forget that he was the reason that I had that crying session with Lucas last night?! Ash was here, staying in a rental house just a few blocks away from my house. There was no doubt I would run into him, especially since he said the reason he came back was to see me. Heat immediately rose on my cheeks when I remembered him saying he wanted to see me.

I nervously paced the floor, thinking of ways to hide from him. Should I hide in my room? Stay in the house all day? Call Gary and ask whenever Ash is in their rental house so I can go walk outside when he's in his house for sure?

I didn't think I was ready to see him yet. I was still an emotional wreck. I was far from being the confident co-ordinator, Dawn Berlitz. I might not meet his expectations. And I was very afraid of what he'd talk to me about.

But for some reason, I didn't want to hide anymore.

Finally, I decided to just walk around town and let Ash find me. I didn't want to stay locked up in my house for two weeks just to hide from a boy. That would be extremely boring. Plus, there was no escaping it. _'Ash is gonna come looking for me anyway,'_ I thought to myself. I was so sure because that was him. Ash was persistent. He never gave up on the people and things he cared for.

I let out a small, surprised laugh at how I still knew his character so well. Then, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

I was scared of what the future would entail, but I've waited to see Ash for two years.

I had to face him.

* * *

No matter where I was or how old I was, Twinleaf Town would always be my home.

Wearing a loose shirt and shorts, I walked around my hometown, breathing in the fragrance of crisp new leaves to rid myself of my nauseating headache. Twinleaf Town's aroma always had a soothing effect on those who breathed in its atmosphere.

It wasn't soothing enough to calm down my nerves though.

I was still anxious about running into Ash.

When I left my house, the clock read eight thirty in the morning. And if Ash had the same sleeping schedule as he did from the days when we traveled together, he'd be waking up at around nine o'clock. He liked to sleep in, but he always woke up just in time to eat breakfast. But sometimes he'd wake up earlier to train with his Pokemon.

In short, there was a fifty-fifty chance that I would run into him.

I secretly hoped he was still sleeping.

After thirty minutes of walking, waving to friendly faces, socializing with a few of my neighbors, and taking in the familiar scenery of my hometown, I decided to head back home. Walking so long had made me a bit exhausted and hungry. I hope mom made pancakes today.

Along the way when my house could be seen in the distance, there was a quaint, white one-story house just two houses away from where I was standing. The notable thing about the house was that it had a sleek, luxurious red convertible parked on its driveway. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the car and trying to figure out what made it so familiar.

"That's Gary's convertible," I realized a few seconds later.

I froze, realizing what that fact entailed. Since that car was Gary's car, there was no doubt that the house the red convertible was parked at was the rental house Ash and Gary were staying at!

My heart started pounding and racing in my chest again. My body became tense. Ash was in that house. And he could be coming out any time soon.

I tried to laugh it off. "There's no way," I muttered to myself, my voice in a faltering reassuring tone. "They're on vacation so he's probably sleeping or something." An anxious laugh escaped my mouth. "Yeah…that's probably it."

I attempted to start walking pass the house, but for some reason, my feet remained tense and frozen, and I couldn't move.

My feet must have been psychic or something because right at that moment, Ash walked out of the house.

That moment was probably the fastest I've ever felt my heart beat.

I never realized how much more mature Ash's looks have become. Probably because I spent most of my time hiding and running away from him yesterday.

He still had the same messy black hair and gleaming brown eyes that I remembered him having, but he went through some changes too.

The slightly chubby face he had when he was sixteen had thinned out a bit. His body was lean yet somewhat built at the same time, which was probably the result of being on nonstop journeys. And even though he was a couple feet away, I could tell that he got taller. I would guess that if he stood next to me, he'd probably be a head taller than me.

Overall, it looked like he got more masculinely handsome. And I found myself blushing at the sight of him.

Ash walked off the patio of the house and began to walk in the direction of my house. It looked like he was gonna try to visit me. Part of me wanted to yell at him that I was standing right behind him and another part of me wanted to sneak in through my house's backdoor and hide from him.

I decided to hide from him this time. I had two weeks to deal with him, so I had a lot of time to prepare to face him. I didn't have to deal with him today.

So as he walked towards my house, I quietly walked behind him, waiting to reach my house so I could run off to my backdoor.

But even though I silently followed him, the anxiety within me kept growing. Being behind him up close was more nerve-racking than seeing him walk out of his house. Why couldn't my house be closer?!

"Twinleaf Town's a lot like Pallet Town!" I heard him exclaim the same phrase he'd said two years ago the first time he came to Twinleaf Town with me. And I was thrown off once again; his voice got a bit deeper too.

Pikachu, who rested on his shoulder, chirped in reply. I subconsciously smiled at the sight. Those two were inseparable. _'Just like how Piplup and I were back in the old days…'_

Soon enough, my thoughts became sad. Me and Piplup weren't inseparable anymore. I didn't even bother to ask him if he wanted to come walk with me this morning. Ash was still close with his Pokemon but I wasn't. I wasn't "inseparable" from my Pokemon anymore. And it's all my fault.

A sigh escaped my mouth. A choking and tense feeling came upon my throat.

"Pika pi!"

My head jolted up. In front of me on Ash's shoulder, Pikachu was staring straight at me.

My eyes widened and I quickly put my hand over my mouth once I realized what happened.

Pikachu heard me sigh.

"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

A smile came upon Pikachu's face as he pointed at me. "Pika pika!" he happily chirped, despite my attempt at shaking my head to not let Ash know I was behind him.

Ash followed Pikachu's gaze and soon landed his brown eyes on me. And once he saw me, a huge grin brighter than the sun formed at his mouth. "Dawn!"

I narrowed my eyes at Pikachu. "I'm gonna get you for this," I jokingly threatened him. Pikachu only giggled in reply.

"Dawn, I was just about to head over to your house," Ash happily told me.

I turned away from him, blushing and avoiding any eye contact with him. "Okay, that's great," I quickly said with a monotonous voice. "See you. Bye."

Then in a flustered manner, I tried to run away from him. But soon enough, I felt his hand wrap around my wrist. I should have learned from yesterday's incident that there was no running away from him.

"Why do you keep trying to run away from me?" he asked. I could hear a little hurt in his voice. That sort of pained me.

My attitude softened and I subconsciously turned to look at him. I was hurting him? "Ash, I…I…"

I blushed once I realized I was looking at him. I quickly turned away and rudely remarked, "Alright, you can go to my house and visit my mom. I bet she made a great breakfast and would be happy to train with you!"

But apparently, Ash found my rudeness amusing. He chuckled and replied, "That sounds great, but I actually wanted to spend the day with you."

I blushed fiercly at his words, but continued to look away from him. "You…you wouldn't want to spend time with me." I looked down at the ground. If we talked and he found out what I've been up to these past two years, he'd probably be disappointed with me. He probably wouldn't want to see me ever again.

Ash chuckled once again. What was so funny? "Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" he breathed out in a sweet tone. "You're my best friend and I've missed you."

I practically melted inside.

I could not describe how happy I was to hear those very words.

Tears formed in my eyes and I turned to look at him again. "Really?" I managed to choke out.

His eyes were full of sincerity and his mouth was shaped into a smile. He nodded in reply. "Yeah."

I couldn't take it anymore.

I threw my arms around Ash's torso and buried my head in his chest. I felt his body jerk a little in a surprised response to the sudden impact. Pikachu chirped in alarm at the sudden action as well, jumping off his trainer's shoulder and onto the ground probably to give Ash some space.

Ash remained in that shocked position for a moment. A few seconds later, the tension in his body disappeared and he gently embraced me as well.

"Dawn," I heard him breathe out.

I wanted to cry so badly. I could feel the tears in my eyes begging to flow down my face. I was so happy that I couldn't contain it.

Ash missed me. I'm still his best friend. And he told me himself. That was all it took to bring me to tears.

And soon enough, I found myself admitting to him,

"I've missed you too."

* * *

**Kathy: And that's it for this chapter! This one's a little short too. I'll try to make the next one a little longer! (maybe lol) And please excuse all the minor spelling/grammar mistakes if you saw any. ****I hope this satisfied all you Pearlshippers! I'll try to update in 2-3 weeks, so be ready for it!**

**Gary: *rolls his eyes* I bet you're gonna procrastinate again and end up updating the story next year.**

**Kathy: *glares at him* Watch it, Gary. *turns back to the readers and smiles again* Anyway, thanks for reading! Review if you want! (:**


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